Rydan Lodge care home abuse investigated

The health watchdog carried out an inspection of Rydan Lodge after concerns were raised

Allegations of abuse at a care home for the elderly in Devon are being investigated, police have said.

The probe follows a Care Quality Commission inspection at Rydan Lodge Residential Home in Brixham.

Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust said inspectors had found the home was "not meeting some essential standards" and its six residents had been moved.

The home will close on 25 November. Its owners declined to comment.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said officers were "making inquiries with staff at the home" and that the investigation was "in the early stages".

"Therefore, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time," he said.

'Safety and wellbeing'

The health watchdog carried out an inspection of Rydan Lodge after concerns were raised about the care of residents.

A spokesman for the organisation said the inspection report would be "published in several weeks, but obviously we wouldn't wait for the report before making sure people are safe and well, so we have been talking with the trust to ensure people are being looked after properly".

A spokeswoman for Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust said all six residents "are now settled in their new homes".

She said that a recent visit by inspectors highlighted that Rydan Lodge was "not meeting some essential standards set out by the CQC and the trust".

"The safety and wellbeing of the residents is our absolute priority," she said.

She added that the owners of Rydan Lodge had informed the trust that "due to the issues raised and on-going concerns about business continuity, they felt it is no longer viable for them to run the home and took the decision to close the facility".